How to get connected with God

I am compelled to share with others how amazing God is! I get excited when I share my personal testimonies of how He has helped me and answered my prayers. God has transformed my life from bondage to freedom! After 15 years as a Christian, my faith had been put to the real test… And God had come through in ways I couldn’t even imagine! He has never let me down!

When I pray, it is not a coincidence prayers get answered. The bible tells us that we not only need to become a believer, but in a right (righteous) relationship with God. Most people I have met have attended a church at some point in their life whether for a service, marriage, funeral, special event, etc. Many even believe that God exists but, many are unaware that you can know God on a personal level. That’s what makes the real difference! The more you know someone the closer you are too them! Where are you with God?

We get connected to God (the father) through his son, Jesus Christ, who lived and died for our sins at the cross of Calvary. And for those who ask, he gives us the Holy Spirit to guide and comfort us. The bible says that when we ask for forgiveness of our sins we will be saved from damnation and given eternal life. “Salvation” is the common bible term that refers to this. Yet it is not enough to just ask him to come into your life. If we want to know him, we need to seek him on a daily basis to form a strong and lasting relationship. Listen to the lyrics of “Just a closer Walk with Thee”, a well-known gospel song to illustrate this: http://youtu.be/hrM1aWtYpys

Salvation for most people is a 2 step process. Not everyone receives the Holy Spirit when they become believers. In the bible, John the Baptist came to baptize with water and then Jesus came to baptize with the Holy Spirit. Baptism of water means forgiveness of sins and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is where the believer receives the Holy Spirit to live inside of them. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, guides us, comforts us and speaks to us. Before Jesus left to ascend into heaven, he told his disciples in the upper room not to leave this place until the “Promise of the Father” (Holy Spirit) comes. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. The passage is found here in the bible:

Acts:4-5
4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me;
5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Acts 2:1-6
1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.
2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.
6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.

When I was leaving Lindsay on Sunday I made a last minute trip to the bike store on Main Street. I had purchased a spare tube and a mirror. I was packing up and as I was about to leave, a gentleman approached me and asked me where I was headed. He was a Scottish fellow from Dunsford with a thick accent but I was able to make out his conversation. I shared with him about my cycling route and my testimony and he told me he was a Christian. He said he was having a “hard time feeling it” and that something was missing. He said that he tried hard and often visited his Pastor friend and participated in church but he was just having a hard time staying connected.

I told him about the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” and he could receive it in faith as a believer with the “laying on of hands”. This can be found in the book of Acts as illustrated below:

Acts 8:14-17
14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John,
15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

Acts 19
1 And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples.
2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.”
5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.
7 There were about twelve men in all

I asked him if he like to receive the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues as The Lord enables him. He agreed. I laid my hands on him and we prayed together and within minutes, he had began speaking in tongues. An excitement overcame both of us as we praised The Lord for his gift of the Holy Spirit as shown in the Book of Acts.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is essential for all believers to live an exciting Christian life with a one on one connection to God. He will take care of ALL our needs when we ask in prayer!

John 14:15-19
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,
17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world [non-believer] cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

The gift of tongues is the sign of an authentic believer. When you have the gift of tongues, people can identify who you really are.

Mark 16:15-18
15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.
16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

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One thought on “How to get connected with God”

Tina: just back from Fenelon Falls!! How did your riding go these last few days in all this HEAT?? Have been keeping you in prayer and just read you last blog about connecting with God. HE IS AN AMAZING GOD, OUR FATHER!! Keep in HIS care Love ya. Barbara. Mary says she praying, too.